RISK ASSESSMENT PROCESS

OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH AUTHORITY

(OSHA)

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 OBJECTIVES
At the end of this session participant
should be able to:
• Understand the five steps of Risk
assessment process
• Interpret Risk Assessment report
• Establish risks levels and prioritize
them for mitigation purposes
• Develop risk control measures

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 WHAT IS RISK ASSESMENT?
Risk assessment is a term used to describe
the overall process or method where you:
•Identify hazards and risk factors that have the
potential to cause harm (hazard identification).
•Analyze and evaluate the risk associated with
that hazard (risk analysis, and risk evaluation).
•Determine appropriate ways to eliminate the
hazard, or control the risk when the hazard
cannot be eliminated (risk control).

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 WHAT IS RISK ASSESMENT?

• A risk assessment is a thorough look at

your workplace to identify those things,
situations, processes, etc. that may cause
harm, particularly to people.

• After identification is made, you analyze and

evaluate how likely and severe the risk is.

• When this determination is made, you can

next, decide what measures should be in
place to effectively eliminate or control the
harm from happening.

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 WHAT IS RISK ASSESMENT?
 Risk assessment – the overall process of
hazard identification, risk analysis, and risk
evaluation.

 Hazard identification – the process of

finding, listing, and characterizing hazards.
 Risk analysis – a process for comprehending
the nature of hazards and determining the
level of risk.

 Risk evaluation – the process of comparing

an estimated risk against given risk criteria to
determine the significance of the risk.
 Risk control – actions implementing risk
evaluation decisions. 5
 WHEN IS RISK ASSESSMENT
DONE?

• Now, if you have not done it before

• When any new work is planned

• When a significant change occurs

• After an incident

• At regular predetermined intervals (Sect. 60 of

OHS Act, CAP 297)
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 Risk Assessment Steps
Step 1: Hazard Identification
(look for the hazards) - refer to What can go
occupational hazard wrong?
identification module.
Step 2: Exposure Evaluation How What

Monitor & Review

(decide who might be harmed likely is are the
and how) it? impact?
Step 3: Risk Characterization Risk
(evaluate the risks and decide Level
whether the existing precautions
are adequate or whether more
should be done)
Step 4: Preparation of Risk MANAGE
Matrix (risk assessment matrix) RISK

Step 5: Recommendation of
Occupational Safety and Health 7
Control Measures Authority | OSHA.
 HAZARD IDENTIFICATION

• Provide an overview of the hazards associated

with the workplace, thereby appropriately
directing detailed risk evaluation

• Hazards are first identified and then allocated

harmfulness scores

• Data can be collected using sources such

literature, walkthrough inspection, interviews, etc
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 EXPOSURE EVALUATION
• Decide who might be harmed and how
– Special groups of people who may be at particular risk (Young
workers, trainees, new and expectant mothers).

– Contractors, maintenance workers who may not be in the

workplace all the time.

– Members of the public, or people you share your workplace with,

if there is a chance they could be hurt by your activities.

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 RISK CHARACTERIZATION

• Evaluate the risks and decide whether existing precautions

are adequate or more should be done.

• Consider how likely is it that each hazard could cause

harm.
• Ask yourself whether you have done all that are required by
law.
• Ask yourself whether acceptable industry standards are in
place.
• Decide for each significant hazard whether the remaining
risk is high, medium or low
• The aim is to make all risks as low as reasonably
practicable. ( ALARP)
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 RISK CHARACTERIZATION cont…

• If you find that something needs to be done,

draw up an ‘action list’ and give priority to any
remaining risks which are high and/or those
which could affect most people.

• In taking action ask yourself:

- Can I get rid of the hazard altogether?
- If not can I control the risk so that harm is unlikely?

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 RISK ASSESSMENT MATRIX
• The risk assessment matrix offers a visual
representation of the risk analysis and
categorizes risks based on their level of
probability and severity
• Identify the hazards you can reasonably expect
and assess the risks from such hazards.
• For each and every hazard identified, the hazards
are allocated a and a probability score
(Likelihood). consequence (hazard severity)
score
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 RISK SCORE

• Risk score provides a qualitative tool that

assists in prioritizing risk.

• Risk Score Calculator determines the level

of risk by defining consequences,
exposure and probability.

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 HOW TO USE
THE RISK SCORE CALCULATOR

• Step 1 - Identify the Consequences

• Step 2 - Estimate the Exposure

• Step 3 - Estimate the Probability

• Step 4 - Determine the Risk

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 RISK CONTROL MEASURES
• The general principle of prevention should be considered
when deciding on the controls.
• The purpose of risk control is to reduce the risk to an
acceptable level.
• The amount of effort used for risk control should be
proportional to the significance of the risk.
• Risk management interventions may include:
- H & S training
- IH monitoring
- Med surveillance
- Recruitment
• Priority setting/ranking (severity, frequency, cost-benefit
analysis, etc)
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RISK CONTROL MEASURES
(HIERARCHY OF CONTROL)

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 SELECTION OF
RISK REDUCTION TECHNIQUES
Deciding which of the techniques available
should be used in dealing with the risk
(consideration should be given to the size
of potential loss, its probability, resources
involved, benefits, costs, corporate policy,
best available information).

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